SESSION 35—Crafting Resonance 2
Photo by Jacopo Maiarelli on Unsplash
Discussion:
Resonance—the impact that a poem has on a person, the way it echoes in a space after being read or recited, relies on a number of things.
Rhythm, rhyme, imagery and metaphor—they all resound in the ear and mind of the listener or reader.
And sometimes, the poet herself, is surprised by what she wrote, guided as it were, by a deeper knowing.
What are some of the devices that give this poem resonance—on the page, in the mouth and ear, and in the mind?
All Fall Down
by Ruth Osman
All my life has been
a fall controlled.
Balance the counterweight.
Dance on the spear's tip.
Don't let them trip you up.
Slide beneath the wires.
Waltz between the raindrops.
Soar on notebook paper wings
held steady by a thread.
Here
in the moment
you are home.
Hopscotching between stalls
smiling thank you
for the extra plantain
and yes, you'd like
your watercress clipped.
The game goes on
until you stumble.
Until the thread is snipped
the kite tumbling
in the storm.
Until a handle rips
tomatoes and baigan rolling
everywhere
and you lie in the road
your body
a crumpled market bag
that can't hold a thing—
not even you.
Devices:
Extended metaphor: A metaphor that is developed over several lines or throughout the poem.
Imagery: Language that creates vivid mental pictures using the senses.
Symbolism: An object or image that represents a larger abstract idea.
Imperative (command): Using commands to direct the reader or speaker's actions.
Simile/metaphor: A comparison that creates meaning (a simile uses "like" or "as"; a metaphor states one thing is another).
Volta: A significant turn or shift in a poem's thought, emotion, perspective, or argument. It often marks a change in tone, direction, or understanding.
Parallelism: The repetition of the same or similar grammatical structure to emphasize an idea, create rhythm, or show a pattern.
Writing Prompt:
There is none. Except to look for these devices whenever you read a poem (or listen to a great orator; they use them too.) Listen for them and for what they do to you.
And as you write, they will bubble up from your subconscious, asking to be of service to what you are trying to say. Let them.